Rancid's Lars Frederiksen and Tim Armstrong are set to drop an album of new material written, recorded and mixed in just five days this past September. The side project, released under the moniker Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, will be released March 20th via Armstrong's Hellcat Records, distributed through Epitaph Records. Additionally, the band will be the support act on the Dropkick Murphys' upcoming national tour.

Featuring ten new Armstrong/Frederiksen tunes, the project also features a pair of covers, Billy Bragg's "To Have and Have Not" and the Yardbirds' classic "Leavin' Here." The latter is based on the version concocted by Motorhead back in 1984.

The Bastards made their public debut January 27th at the Brickworks in Chico, California. The group plans several warm-up dates throughout the Golden State during the month of February in preparation for their seven-week trek with the Dropkick Murphys. Boston hardcore band Reach the Sky and Berkeley, California punk rockers the Swinging Utters are also on the tour, which embarks March 9th in Poughkeepsie, New York.

In other Rancid news, the full band will reconvene for the Vans Warped Tour, where it will co-headline with fellow American punk stalwarts Pennywise. The complete lineup and dates for that jaunt will be announced within the coming weeks.

JOHN D. LUERSSEN
(February 2, 2001)